Union Cabinet approved establishment of Food Legumes Research Platform in Madhya Pradesh

The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the establishment of Food Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at Amlaha in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.

The approval was given by the Cabinet at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 February 2017 in New Delhi.

Apart from the main research centre in Amlaha, satellite hubs will be set up in West Bengal and Rajasthan for pulses and Natural Resource Management respectively.

These satellites hubs will be established in the second phase with assistance from the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA).

To facilitate the establishment of the FLRP, the Union Cabinet gave its approval for -

• Signing of a lease deed with State Government of Madhya Pradesh for the land provided by them at Amlaha Farm, Sehore

• Conferring on the Food Legume Research Platform of ICARDA an international status as contemplated in Clause 3 of the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947.

How the Food Legumes Research Platform will benefit India?

• The establishment of FLRP in India will enable the country to harness the best of international science in meeting the emerging food security challenges.

• India would be able to rapidly and effectively absorb the research output achieved in the country by FLRP.

• A major international research and development institution like ICARDA will make India an even bigger center for agricultural research in the world.

• ICARDA’s good track record of innovation in developing climate resilient technologies for dry-land production systems will be helpful for the Indian farming community.

• ICARDA will carry out research through a multi-disciplinary team of scientists for enhancing productivity of crops and livestock.

• This platform will contribute significantly towards reducing poverty, improving food security, improving nutrition and health and sustaining the natural resource base.

• The research output would benefit farmers of all regions, whether big, small or marginal.